Identification
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) offers clear guidelines on how gifted students should be identified for gifted programming. These guidelines are recommendations- not requirements- yet they are research and evidence-based. Therefore, Orchard Farm follows DESE's guidelines closely. DESE recommends that schools use a two-step process: screening and individual assessment. DESE further recommends that at least four areas are scrutinized. For qualification, students must show exceptionality (95th percentile) in at least THREE of the four areas. The following information is taken directly from DESE's website and describes each criterion in detail:
Referral Process
Students are referred for CATS program screenings in three ways:- Every student at Orchard Farm is screened for the gifted program in first and third grade, via the administration of the CogAT.
- Teacher requests
- Parent requests
While CogAT and IQ scores are reliable and valid measures, it is not uncommon for a student's scores to change every few years. These fluctuations are relatively small, yet could still allow for a formerly disqualified student to qualify at a later date. For this reason, students may eligible to be re-screened in the future.
For more state guidance and gifted recommendations, visit the DESE Website.